Hey there you wonderful people! :D
It's finally the weekend and you guys know what that means ;3 But first before anything else let's give thanks and answer some of the question of some wonderful people!
-Tris PhantomEvans: Haha, sorry about the cliffhangers, Tris but gotta love them cx As for your question, my hope for this story is to continue until Pandora Hearts ends. Which, sadly, will be soon T-T But that means this story has 10+ new chapters if not more to come besides the old ones c; So hope you're looking forth to that.
-LightandDarkHeart: Yeah, I wanted a mother-daughter scene somewhere in this story and that happened -w- Thanks a lot about the warning. I've gone back and fixed it c: I've gotten into the habit of proofreading my stuff before publish and it seems that people like that very much cx Sometimes things pass me by and I really appreciated for others to points those out so that I can fix em :D
Now that we're done with that let's begin with what you guys have been waiting for this whole week :D
Chapter Twenty-Six
Soul Fragment
No sooner had Gilbert left the place had we began descending to where Oz said they held the sealing stone. But the more I ran, the more tired I was getting. Soon it made me stop and bend over to catch my breath.
"Claire!" Elliot called in concern. My eyes came up to meet his and Oz's gaze when both had turned at my stopping. I dismissed it with a wave of my hand until Oz spoke up.
"You're exhausting yourself. At this rate, you'll kill yourself faster than you thought."
"What are you talking about?" Elliot muttered confused.
"Not anymore," I assured Oz's outburst. "Trust me. I ain't going to die anytime soon, kid."
He thought about what I said for a minute before he smiled at me. "Glad to have you back then." He looked over his shoulder before leaving. "Let's keep going." We kept heading through the tunnels while fighting the guards that were littered around their corners.
Great, just their day to work, huh. Leaving the sarcasm aside, I went on with Elliot and Echo to rid ourselves of the men with Radiant Dawn in hand. Once done we began heading further in.
But, out of nowhere, I felt a large punch to my gut that brought me to my knees. It came from no where and it had taken all the air from me. As I was there in all fours a sudden sadness overwhelmed me. This feeling...a string has been cut.
"Claire?" Elliot's hushed voice made me face him. It was like when Reim's was cut...but worse.
"What happened?" Oz inquired stopping a few feet ahead with Vincent and Echo.
"Someone just died," I reported without a single doubt in my mind about it. Suddenly tears began trickling down my face. A great sorrow then etched itself inside me. Even trying to take a deep breath shattered my resolve when I broke out in quiet sobs. And the thing was that I didn't even have to guess who it had been.
This sorrow that was so deep in my soul. I knew whose side they had come from. "It's Fang," I murmured to myself as more tears streaked down. I wiped them off with my arm before saying it aloud. "Fang Baskerville is dead." It was an instant later that I felt the string on Lily began to flee rapidly out of range. Regaining my composure, I stood up and bestowed what I knew to him. "The Baskerville's have fled from the fight outside. It's over."
"Then Gilbert is on his way," Elliot assured us.
But when Oz and I exchanged glances, we knew what had to be done. "Even so there's no time to wait here. At least for right now, we have to keep going. Us is all we have."
Oz picked out the pocket watch from his pocket before checking the time. "Then let's hurry and press on." Following his lead, we headed onwards.
"Claire."
"Please tell me you have good news," I hissed under my breath.
"I've located Reim outside. He's just been taken by Eques to safety."
I nodded and repeated what she said, "They've found Reim. He's injured but alive."
"None of their forgoes will be in vain." With his proclamation said, we headed and finally arrived to a small passage with openings that gave a good view to the bottom floor where the sealing stone was. They were preparing for the rite.
Suddenly, a jolt of energy hit me making me grabbed myself. I was a bit apart from the others so none of them notice my strange behavior. A sudden rush of energy came over me that took me to a separate place. I was conscious of what was happening on the outside but what had change was behind me. Someone had sat down and pressed their backs against mine.
"I finally reached you."
Who are you?
"Nobody that matters, Claire. But I do have to apologize for all the misfortune I've brought to you."
Misfortune? What are you talking about?
"He never let me go. Even when I purposefully lied to him and sent him away. He still came back. His thoughts and regret reached me and this little piece of myself that remained was caught to linger in this world to wander. That is, until I found you."
Me...?
"That night of the final ritual, a hundred and sixteen years ago, what was left off my soul lingered in the darkness until I felt someone's light nearby that had burnt out too. It led me to a child that had died before even drawing it's first breath in this world. Without a life to live..."
"Me." Just then I felt her get off from my back as the presence slowly left.
"Take care of him and don't let the past conflict with the present and much less the future. Take care of the people you love. And don't allow him control of your life again."
After saying those words, her presence disappeared. Who was that? Why did she appear to me now?
"Leo!" Elliot's quiet call took my attention but what really caught it was Oz when he screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Alice! Yura, what did you do to Alice!" Without losing a heartbeat, he barked out his next orders. "Elliot! Go over to Leo. Take Claire with you. I will take care of Yura..."
"Who do you think...you're talking to!?" Elliot burst out before grabbing my hand and leading us away towards Leo.
How odd? Oz had never been this mad before. Elliot was worried for Leo and so was I. Yet I felt out of it. As if something were off with me. This isn't like me. I shouldn't be brooding over some voice. No more!
"No! You have to listen to me!"
"Shut up!" I yelled holding the sides of my head tightly trying to make her leave my head.
"If you ignore me, you won't know how to deal with Glen!"
Elliot had reached me by then and held my shoulders with his hands. That's right. Elliot's presence always calmed me down. It always brought me peace of mind. If it worked then, then it could...
Without warning him I grabbed him by his collar and brought him forth to meet my lips. It was a hasty and messy kiss but it at least managed to shut her voice from my head.
"Claire," he called holding my shoulder. "There's no time for that. We have to hurry and help Leo."
A bit embarrassed about the sudden action, I nod and follow him as we go down towards another chamber. On the way there, we encountered more of those men in robes but dealt with them easily. But because of the sealing stone's presence, my energy was draining much quicker than usual. Finally arriving at the entrance of the chamber, we prepared to fight if necessary and stepped in.
But the minute I took a step over the threshold, something pulled me and started giving me a headache. My ears were ringing and I felt exhausted. Gazing up to meet Elliot, I noticed how extreme shock was etched all on his face. "What's the matter, Elliot?" But at following his point of focus my own eyes widened at seeing that person. "Y-You're..."
"You made it in the end, Elliot." That voice. That once sweet and gentle voice now sounded frivolous and monotone. How much she had changed. "You've brought that vermin along with you. Well it matters not." She turned over and looked straight at us.
Just as she moved, I saw Leo lying on the stone pedestal behind her. This wasn't a time to hesitate. I raised Radiant Dawn threateningly her way ready to fight if necessary. "I don't want to do this," I scowled feeling even heavier by the second. "So please. Step aside."
"I'll have none of that." She suddenly picked something out of her breast pocket and at being before it's presence, it brought me down to my knees from the force it exerted on me. "It was nice of Yura-sama to give me this." In her hands she held a small pebble of the same crystal and minerals that the sealing stones were made of. "It's a mere replica but it does it's job. As a double contractor, its direct effects should be breathtaking." She then tossed the pebble closer to me making it exert even more pressure on my body and making Radiant Dawn disappear from my hand. Slowly, she turned to face Elliot. "Please, come closer. Let's perform...this miracle together."
I glanced over at Elliot since I was incapable of moving or talking. That's when I noted the shock had never left him. It simply floored him.
"Mo...ther?"
I know -w- Short. But! I will be uploading another to compensate. Since I have so many prewritten it gives me much liberty to publish when I want :3
So stay tuned and see you all next chapter! :D
